Doctoral Fellowship – 1 vacancy

Within the project - ALG-01-0247-FEDER-069769
and AQUA-RP

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BD/04/2021

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a Doctoral Fellowship (Bolsa de Investigação para Doutoramento) within AQUA-RP (Receitas Próprias) and the research project: MAXIMUS.PT “Investigação e desenvolvimento para a produção de larvas e juvenis de pregado em maternidade” reference ALG-01-0247-FEDER-069769 funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Operational Programme for Algarve (PO CRESC ALGARVE 2020) under the following conditions:

Work Plan and Tasks to perform:
Mass production of high-quality juveniles is a critical point for the European aquaculture industry, and is strongly dependent on nutrition and microbiological conditions, as well as their interactions. The MAXIMUS.PT project aims to develop a holistic study for the hatchery production of juvenile turbot. The investigation on how feeding regimes affect the microbiome and protein metabolism, and how they interact, is expected to improve growth performance and survival in the early ages of the turbot.
Specifically, the fellowship holder will be involved in the Research and Development activities, also the student will be enrolled in a doctoral programme in Marine, Earth and Environmental Sciences, with the purpose to consolidate the scientific training through the development of research work leading to the award of a doctoral degree. Some of the tasks need to be performed  on weekends.

Supervisor:
Dr. Sofia Engrola (responsible for the project, group leader and researcher at CCMAR), Dr. Newton Gomes (researcher at UA-CESAM) and Dr. Wilson Pinto (researcher at SPAROS Lda.).

Work place:
The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal), CESAM (University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal), SPAROS (Área Empresarial de Olhão, Olhão, Portugal) and other places in accordance with the working plan.

Requirements for the application:
This fellowship is intended for Master’s Degree holders that meet cumulatively the conditions stated below:
1.    MSc in Aquaculture or closely related area.
2.    Good knowledge of spoken and written English.

Desirable skills
Preference will be given to applicants with:
1.    MSc Thesis in the field of Marine Fish Larval Nutrition.
2.    Experience in the following skills: marine fish larval rearing; fish larval digestive physiology; fish nutritional indicators.
3.    Basic skills in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). 
4.    Basic skills with data analysis, including statistics.
5.    Published peer-review papers in international SCI indexed journals and/or International conference presentations (poster or oral).

Evaluation criteria: 
Applications will be scored on 0 to 100 scale. The evaluation criteria for the applications and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:
1.    Confirmed experience in rearing aquaculture marine fish larvae. – 20%
2.    Confirmed experience in biochemical analyses of fish nutritional indicators. – 15% 
3.    Confirmed experience in rearing aquaculture marine species in RAS. – 15%
4.    Confirmed experience in production of live feeds and microalgae. – 10%
5.    Knowledge of informatics and statistical analysis. – 10%
6.    English knowledge assessed through the structure and content of the motivation letter (the motivation letter must be written in English). – 15%
7.    Applicant merit (Final MSc. score). – 15%

The Selection Committee reserves the right to contact or interview applicants if further information or clarification about their application is required.

If no applicant has the necessary profile, the Selection Committee reserves the right to close the call without recruitment. If the selected candidate does not take up the position because of failure to comply with documentary requirements or any other reason, or if later they resign the Selection Committee reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to select applicants from the same call following the position in the ranked list.  

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have an initial duration of 12 months, expected to start in May 2021 and can be renewed for additional periods never exceeding a maximum of 48 months. The fellowship must be carried out under an exclusivity regimen, according to the CCMAR fellowship regulations (see here https://bit.ly/3aXyXQu), based on the Portuguese law 40/2004, of 18 of August (Scientific Research Fellowship holder statutes) amended by the Decree-Law 123/2019 of 28 of August. A maintenance allowance of 1104.64€ will be paid monthly, through bank transfer, and will be updated as stipulated by the Foundation for Science and Technology (see here https://bit.ly/2ZcxUGJ).  

Application period: from 6th of April to 19th of April 2021. 

Application process: 
Applications should be submitted online at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job and include:
⦁    a motivation letter (in English);
⦁    a detailed Curriculum vitae (in English); 
⦁    a declaration, available from the application platform, declaring the intention to enrol in a doctoral programme in Marine, Earth and Environmental Sciences, if the candidate is selected for the position;
⦁    a copy of the Master’s Degree Certificate with the final classification (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master Degree by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES – Directorate General for Higher Education (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University) with the final classification; 
⦁    a declaration available in the application platform if you are unable to provide a copy of the Master´s Degree certificate with the final classification or a copy of the recognition of the Master’s Degree certificate with the final classification at the time of application, as indicated above; 
⦁    the email contact of up to 2 referees.

Results and Preliminary Hearing: The selection results will be communicated by email within 90 working days after the application deadline. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to contest the preliminary decision.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized in Portugal no later than the date indicated in the communication of selection for the position. Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese public higher education institution or by Directorate General for Higher Education – DGES (here https://bit.ly/3afyQQU). 

Selection Committee: 
Dr. Sofia Engrola, responsible for the project, group leader and researcher at CCMAR (president), Dr. Cláudia Aragão researcher at UALG/CCMAR (member) and Prof. Dr. Pedro Rodrigues (Professor at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (member)).

Notes:
Disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal ranking, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication / expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

CCMAR’s non-discrimination and equal access opportunities policy – No candidate can be privileged, benefited, jeopardised or be deprived of any right or exempt of any claim in regards to descendent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social economy, genetic heritage, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin, language, religion, politics, ideology or union membership.  

Faro, March the 19th 2021